The Golden State Warriors have ambitious plans for the 2027 offseason, when they are projected to have over $60M in cap space.
In the meantime, the Warriors still need to build a solid core around Stephen Curry, both now and in the future. As currently constructed, the Warriors are not estimated to win over 40 games and are expected to miss the playoffs again.
One intriguing Warriors trade idea doing the rounds would land the Warriors a bona fide future franchise star: Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets, who has the talent to be positioned as Curry’s successor.
Warriors Trade Idea Lands Brandon Miller
Warriors would receive: Brandon Miller
Hornets would receive: Moses Moody, Paolo Banchero
Magic would receive: Naz Reid, Royce O’Neale, Brandin Podziemski, 2028 first-round pick (via GSW), 2030 first-round pick (via GSW)
Why the Warriors Do It
At 23, Miller is old enough to be a key contributor for the Warriors right away and young enough to be positioned as Stephen Curry’s successor. Crucially, he has the skillset to thrive next to Curry and in Golden State’s pace-and-space system. Unlike a lot of young stars in the league, Miller isn’t ball-dominant, and thrives as a movement shooter and catch-and-shoot threat. He also has the tools to break down a defense.
Some would argue that an outgoing haul of Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and two first-round picks is a lot for Miller, who has yet to make an All-Star or All-NBA Team. However, Miller has shown flashes of a future superstar in his three years in Charlotte, averaging 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists while making 3.0 threes per game. Last year, he shot a career-high 38.3% from three while making 3.1 threes per game. You best believe those numbers will skyrocket playing alongside Curry’s gravity.
Why the Hornets Do It
After moving on from LaMelo Ball, it makes perfect sense for the Hornets to do the same with Miller and build the roster around young franchise star Kon Knueppel. There could be some redundancies in the skillsets of Knueppel and Miller, both of whom attempt more than eight to nine threes per game on the average. An ISO-centric player like Paolo Banchero — who thrives in the midrange — will present a different dynamic to Charles Lee’s offense and possibly a better co-star for Knueppel.
Why the Magic Do It
The Magic are projected to become a second-apron team in 2027-28, given that so much of their cap is tied to Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs.
By swapping Banchero for nice role players like Naz Reid, Royce O’Neale and Brandin Podziemski, the Hornets will shave off nearly $2M from their immediate payroll and stay approximately $9.2M under the first apron. Furthermore, both O’Neale and Podziemski are on manageable contracts that can be flipped again in the future. While O’Neale is signed through 2027-28, Podz is a restricted free agent next year.
The hypothetical Warriors trade also enables the Magic to establish Franz Wagner as their new No. 1 option and franchise star. Some analysts believe Wagner and Banchero have been unable to coexist, blaming their lack of chemistry for Orlando’s inability to get past the first round of the playoffs.
Warriors Proposed to Land Brandon Miller in Blockbuster 3-Team Trade